Kindness Ranch Steps Up for 70 Former Research Animals

At a ranch in rural Wyoming, second chances arrive on four legs.

This week, Kindness Ranch Animal Sanctuary is preparing for one of the largest rescues in its history—bringing 70 dogs and cats to safety after the closure of a research laboratory in Colorado.

The nonprofit sanctuary, believed to be the only facility in the nation dedicated exclusively to rescuing former research animals, has spent years rehabilitating and rehoming animals once used in testing programs.

A Mission Built on Second Chances

Executive Director John Ramer and his wife, Katy, travel across the country rescuing animals that might otherwise face euthanasia after clinical testing concludes.

This latest rescue includes roughly 40 beagles and 29 cats from a now-closed testing facility that previously conducted pharmaceutical and flea-and-tick studies.

Ramer said when the facility contacted him about taking the animals, the answer came immediately.

“He didn’t hesitate,” the report noted.

To make room, the ranch coordinated transfers with rescue partners and quickly reorganized resources—something Ramer says is simply part of the mission.

Teaching Dogs How to Be Dogs Again

For many of the rescued animals, freedom comes with an adjustment period.

The beagles arriving at the ranch often have little experience with ordinary life outside laboratory environments. Many are unfamiliar with grass, toys, household sounds, or even normal social interaction.

At the ranch, they begin rehabilitation in on-site yurts alongside full-time caregivers who help them learn basic behaviors, build trust, and gradually prepare for adoption.

“It’s a labor-intensive process to essentially teach dogs how to be dogs,” the article explained.

The cats will initially remain indoors while caregivers help strengthen their immune systems before gradually introducing outdoor time.

A Changing Landscape

Ramer believes the rescue may signal a larger shift underway in the research industry.

According to the article, the Colorado facility owner told him using beagles and cats for testing was “no longer financially feasible.”

Growing public scrutiny around animal testing, combined with legal actions against major breeding operations, has contributed to several recent closures nationwide.

Kindness Ranch has played a role in several major rescues over the years, including efforts connected to the shutdown of the massive Envigo breeding facility in 2022 and the closure of the National Institutes of Health’s final beagle-testing lab last year.

Leading With Compassion Instead of Conflict

While some activists have taken aggressive approaches to ending animal testing, Ramer believes long-term progress comes through diplomacy and legal reform.

He has traveled repeatedly to Capitol Hill advocating for Violet’s Law—also known as the AFTER Act—which would require taxpayer-funded research facilities to retire or rehome healthy research animals instead of euthanizing them.

For now, though, the focus remains on the 70 new arrivals headed to Wyoming.

“They will be there to answer the call,” the story noted.

And for dozens of animals stepping onto grass for perhaps the very first time, that call means something simple:

A chance at life beyond a laboratory.